Parish Core Team

A MESSAGE FROM THE PARISH CORE TEAM


Following a whole parish meeting to discuss the Diocesan Pastoral Plan, the Core Team came together in order to revitalise the parish after the Covid period and align it with the aims of the Plan. It seeks to refocus the parish on its mission to build God’s kingdom on earth. Our aim is to help all parishioners, young and old, develop a close relationship with Jesus who founded His church and commissioned it, and us, to go out and spread the good news.


Together with our Parish Priest, we seek to create a joyful, prayerful, worshipping community which is outward looking and shares its resources and talents to the benefit of all but especially with those most in need.


Since the formation of the Core Team the parish has managed to: 


  • Recruit and employ a new parish secretary
  • Organise a maintenance programme including Health & Safety requirements
  • Relaunch the Children’s Liturgy at the 10.00am Sunday Mass with a talented and enthusiastic team of helpers
  • Reintroduce Study Groups for Lent and Advent
  • Launch the first of what we hope will be a number of ‘Cell Groups’ taking place in people’s homes for prayer, scripture study and sharing.
  • Find someone to take on the important role of Safeguarding 
  • Recruit new members for the Welcoming ministry at Sunday Masses


With your help, our priorities for the coming year include:


  • Recruit helpers for Fr Ian to provide catechesis for First Holy Communion, Confirmation and RCIA,
  • Develop a youth programme to provide on-going formation and fellowship
  • Build closer links with St. Joseph’s Catholic Primary School
  • Rebuild links with other Christian communities in Dorking
  • Look into establishing a Liturgy Planning Goup
  • Align the existing parish structure with the new ‘Moderated Parish’ as the Pastoral Plan takes shape (see below)


The Core Team is immensely grateful to all those people already engaged in parish ministries. We also hope that more of you will come forward to serve, perhaps in new ways, which will help to create a flourishing faith-filled community that will also reach out into the neighbourhood.


We are very conscious in the Core Team that we need to listen to the concerns and aspirations of our fellow parishioners and have been talking to as many people as possible in the last few weeks.  Please speak to any of the people listed below. We welcome ideas for new initiatives or improvements. Suggestions may also be emailed to the Parish office dorking@abdiocese.org.uk marked for the attention of the Core Team.


CORE TEAM MEMBERS : Fr Ian Vane, Philip Cook (Chair), Kathia Thornton, Ricki Hughes, Colin Hughes, Robin Potter, Keith Sargent, Peter Briscoe, Maria O’Neil (Secretary)